Pictures reveal man’s desperate acts to survive while stranded for three days

Aerial photos have given a glimpse into a man’s fight to survive after he was stranded for three days on an isolated island.

New aerial photos show a Dutch man who was stranded on an uninhabited island near the Bahamas for three days made a huge “SOS” sign on the beach in the hopes someone would finally spot him from the air.

The 64-year-old man was rescued from Cay Sal by the US Coast Guard on Saturday (Friday local time) after aircrew reported seeing “a disabled sailboat firing flares”.

A second aircrew then located the stranded sailor and dropped supplies including food, water and a radio to be able to talk to him.

He told them he had been there for three days after his sailboat broke down during his voyage, so the Coast Guard sent a vessel to rescue him.

A Dutch man stranded for three days on a uninhabited island near the Bahamas made an “SOS” sign on the sand. Picture: US Coast Guard

New images released on Wednesday showed the desperate man had made a huge “SOS” sign on the sand and a shelter among trees on the island.

“We’re proud to have saved this man’s life,” said Coast Guard officer Dev Craig.

Aerial images also show the 64-year-old had made a shelter among the trees. Picture: US Coast Guard

He added: “This case serves as a perfect example of why you must have the proper safety equipment on your vessel.

“Without seeing the flare, the case may not have had a successful outcome.”

The 64-year-old was said to be in good health despite the ordeal.

Cay Sal is a small uninhabited island in the Cay Sal Bank between Florida, Cuba and the Bahamas.

The sailboat seen in the water off Cay Sal, the Bahamas. Picture: US Coast Guard

In July, an Australian man and his dog incredibly survived months at sea before being picked up by a tuna trawler off the coast of Mexico, after they were spotted by a helicopter accompanying the ship.

The pair set sail from La Paz in Mexico to French Polynesia in April, but a few weeks into the journey a bad storm destroyed electronics on the catamaran.